The Statistics of Snow
by JhaniiAllii
Summary: A story about the statistics of crashing in snow, the probability of finding a person to love and then the chance of ACTUALLY falling in love with them. Fate never was on Fitzwilliam Darcy's or Elizabeth Bennet's side...Or was it? Story for Mush wrote by Ally but you are ALL welcome to read!
1. When the Snowman Brings the Snow

**Author's Note:**

** MERRY FIRST OF DECEMBER! (Is that even a thing...? I'm making it a thing) Hello my lovely people, I bring good tidings in the form of a festive fanfiction, wrote as a present for my dearest Mush at Christmas time! (Merry Christmas Mush!) But, as always, I welcome you to join in on our gift giving by reading (And maybe following, favouriting and reviewing?) this story! Now...I know what you're thinking "Why are you giving the awesome Mush her present now...It's not Christmas yet..." Well yes Mr Smart Arse. I am aware. This is a four-shot (Or a mini Multi Chap...Whatever.) and will last until Christmas with a new chapter each Saturday or Sunday until Christmas! At least I think so...I haven't actually checked the calendar yet to see if this works. Oops. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and have a great first week of advent time!  
**

**I wish you a Merry Christmas,  
**

**I wish you a Merry Christmas,  
**

**I wish you a Merry Christmas,  
**

**Now please get well soon! (Please Mush! Lunch times are SO boring without my fellow fanficer!)  
**

**Ally xxx****  
**

* * *

**Dedication:  
**

**I hereby dedicate this _entire_ story to my dearest and awesome-est Mush. She is awesome and deserves the best Christmas present ever! I apologise I am unable to give you that but I will give you this instead and hope it is at least half worthy. **

**Merry First of December,**

** Ally xxx  
**

* * *

When the Snowman Brings the Snow….

People always assume that you are more likely to crash in snow. _Statistically_ less people crash in snow around Britain than in normal weather and, actually, when you think about it, that makes sense for three, well four, reasons.

Firstly, we have more 'normal' weather than we do snow so more people drive in normal weather…obviously.

Secondly, a lot of people just _don't_ drive in snow full stop. The usage of public transport and taxis always goes up around snowy times because a person's worst nightmare is skidding off the road and being buried under snow while slowly freezing to death. Which is a very rational thought…If you lived in somewhere like Russia. But in England? It's pronounced a 'blizzard of the century' if we get 12cm's of snow….let alone enough to bury a car.

Thirdly, the brave people who do attempt to drive in snow drive carefully. _Very _carefully. And very slow. Like crawl-down-the-road-at-2mph slow.

And lastly, everyone seems to drive at the exact same time. Humans who drive have snow-dar (It's been scientifically proven…..kind of.) which is basically like a sixth sense they must teach you during your driving theory. As soon as a driver who drives to work sees snow they clock up- automatically- their three options. a) Have the day off, b) Catch a taxi or c) drive in rush hour. By driving in rush hour that means you are stuck in hours of endless stand-still traffic. But it also means you won't be alone on the roads where you're most likely to skid. And the more people who use the roads, the easier they are to drive on.

So these are the rules most people generally stick to when faced with snow. Catch a taxi, drive carefully and drive when people are most likely to be on the roads…

At least that's what any _normal _person would do…Unless, of course, your name is Elizabeth Bennet.

_I don't like walking around this cold and empty house._

"Now move on down, into second gear." Elizabeth sang along with the radio (Altering the words slightly), while dropping down a gear.

_The stairs creak as we sleep, it's keeping me awake._

"Oh my god the roads are like ice rinks." She crooned, shifting in her seat slightly.

_Some days I can't even, trust myself._

"I'm gunna kill Jane later today." The snow crunched, thicker under her wheels.

_And though the truth may vary this_

_Ship will carry our_

_Bodies safe to shore (Hey.)_

"Don't listen to the "News Today"" Elizabeth turned into a skid, skilfully and turned up the window whipers to fend off the blizzard like snow.

"The say that we can't drive this way.

"And though the roads are icy this

"Car will carry my

"Bo-dy to Jane's house. INSTRUMENTAL!" She yelled punching the air, then simultaneously grabbing back onto the steering wheel.

"Sugar. I better keep hold of you."

The snow was falling thick and fast but Lizzie's car just drove on relentless. Nothing gets in front of a determined Elizabeth's way. Not warnings to stay in your homes. Not talk of cars really being buried under snow. Not even her mother phoning her up and telling her that if she went out there and died she'd never forgive her for not giving her grandbabies. No, not even grandbabies could stop her.

Elizabeth NEEDED to get to Jane's house before she left with Bingley, she HAD to talk to her or else she'd never forgive herself.

You see, Jane and Elizabeth where as close as- well, anything. They shared everything together, they did everything together, they _were_ everything together…At least until two certain Gentlemen, by the names of Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy, moved into their neighbourhood…No. Things had never quite been the same since.

Two years later, Jane and Bingley shared a house together living a viva loca. Whereas Elizabeth and Darcy…? Well…they left something to be desired.

Some people said they had never seen so much dislike between two people.

Others said they'd never seen so much sexual tension between two people.

_They_ said they'd never seen someone they've ever wanted to hate as much as the other, but read my lips, my dear friends, when I say there is a thin line between love and hate.

Anyway, Jane and Lizzie had argued before (Many a times) but never like they had earlier that day. Jane was angry with the way Lizzie treated Darcy and Lizzie was angry with Jane for 'always taking his side'. And now, in an hour or so, Jane would be flying off with Bingley to go skiing for the weekend and what happened if Jane never made it back? What happened if she got caught in the storm?

I'll tell you what would happen…Lizzie would never forgive herself.

So you may laugh at Lizzie for driving like a maniac through how many inches of snow at half one in the morning, but trust me when I say, she has her reasons.

"Who is it?" A masculine voice croaked through the security device attached to the gate.

_Man _she thought _Bingley voice sounds WAY deeper on record._

"BATMAN!" She replied in the deepest voice she could muster.

Slowly the gate creaked open leaving Elizabeth to start making her way up Netherfield's drive, while thinking about how Bingley _seriously_ needed to improve his security.

"Right" She muttered zipping up her coat before facing the storm ahead of her. "Get in there, say sorry, get back out, go home, drink hot chocolate and catch up on T.V."

Taking a deep breath she swung open the car door, jumped out, and ran up to the porch with her hood completely covering her head.

_What do I feel like watching…?_ The lights on the car flashed indicating it was locked.

_I feel like Miranda…Or Parade's End…Or Spidey-man. Oh yesh…I could do myself a bit of Spidey-man. And the Hulk… MUHAHAHA! Dr Banner you green-ey piece of GOODNESS!_

Elizabeth took a deep breath, rehearsing the apology that had lingered on her mind since she had stormed out her own apartment (Don't…Just don't.)

_Ding, dong._

The alarm sang over Lizzie's shuffling.

When no response came, Lizzie pressed the small doorbell again. And again. And again.

_C'mon_ she thought i_t's freezing out here….C'MON!_

After what seemed like forever, the door swung open and the heat rushed over Lizzie in a desperate attempt to escape.

"You're back already." The door-swinger laughed "What did you forget this ti-"

Mr door-swinger's speech teetered off as he noticed that it wasn't Bingley standing at the door (Or Jane for that matter) it was the very person who'd been haunting his thoughts for a very long time now.

"Elizabeth."

"Darcy."

They both half gasped, half spat, at each other.

Well this can only end well…

"What are _you_ doing here?!" Elizabeth asked incredulous.

"I could ask you the same question."

"You _could_ but you _didn't_, now answer the damn question!" And cue the mad hand gestures…

Elizabeth had NOT risked her neck (And her beautiful little black beetle) driving all this way to argue with Darcy on Netherfield's doorstep.

"Charming as always Eliza." He smirked, leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed.

Ignoring the way his hair fell slightly in his eyes or how his shirt strained under his jumper when he did this, Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and drew herself up to her full height….Which really wasn't very impressive compared to Darcy's.

"Where's Jane?" Lizzie ducked to try and look around his tall frame "I need to speak with her urgently."

"You just missed her…She left around twenty minutes ago with Bingley."

"Curses…" She muttered, snapping her fingers.

"Can I pass on a message?" He raised an eyebrow, that god damn smirk still written across his lips.

"Would it be so very painful to stop acting like an asshole for just five minutes?" The snow fell around the house, reflecting in the Christmas lights adorned across the porch.

"Now, now Eliza… play nicely." The smirk was replaced with an outright grin.

What was it about him that infuriated her so much?

And why did he enjoy it so much when he did so?

"Eliza?" She questioned, archly "Someone's been spending too much time around Caroline…Then again that doesn't surprise me."

Darcy might know what it took to nark Lizzie, but she knew _perfectly_ how to get on his nerves.

"You too make a nice couple…" She carried on "Really nice. Where did you take her for your first date? Down into city central so you could both bitch about everyone who walked past or the Ritz so you could both marvel at your riches and general splendour?"

This time it was Darcy's turn to stiffen his posture and glare.

"I'd rather not talk about Caroline right now…"

"What's wrong?" Lizzie cooed "Trouble in paradise?"

_How'd you like me now BIATCH!?_

"Me and Caroline have never, and will never, go out. EVER." His eyes darted from Lizzie's face and the snow falling behind her.

"Ignorance is bliss as they always say…"

"Beth." He mocked "Will you just, I don't know, shut up, to put it politely."

"The gentleman as ever Darcy…Truly the height of manners."

He muttered something incoherent under his breath before asking Elizabeth, rather harshly, why she was still here.

"The real question here Darcy, is why are _you_ still here, inside Jane and Bingley's house while they're out?" She jabbed her gloved finger in his direction.

"I am looking after it while they're gone." He answered in a rather smug voice.

"Why'd they ask you and not me?!" Lizzie yelled, appalled.

She was just as good as Darcy, if not better.

How dare they ask him and not her!

They know how much she loves Netherfield.

In fact, thinking about it, she had even _volunteered_ to look after the house but they had said that "wouldn't be necessary".

The cheek….

"Because they clearly wanted the house to be here when they got back…AND" He added as Lizzie tried to protest "Technically I own the house…so that would make sense."

_Damn_, she cursed in her head.

Elizabeth always forgot that it was kind of Darcy's house. He had inherited it or something, along with loads of other houses, but he thought it was too big so he let Jane and Bingley rent it out from him (They insisted on paying him apparently).

As much as Darcy loved the house and pretty much spent all his free time there, he couldn't have it as his own. There was too much space to remind him how lonely he really was, however much he tried to deny it. His apartment was small and cosy and was just big enough for him. There weren't shed loads of empty bedrooms, abandoned children's rooms, dusty nurseries and master bedrooms to remind him that there was still something (And a BIG something) missing from his life.

"They still could have asked." She mumbled, glaring at his shoes.

Darcy winked then smiled "There, there Ella…I know you're just _desperate _to spend some loving, quality time with me but…What can I say? Have you ever read _He's just not that into you_?"

Elizabeth looked at him, at loss of what to say.

"Me and you Darcy" She said, eventually. "We'd make the perfect strangers."

As if she'd nearly killed herself in some bloody car accident to end up arguing with Darcy!? This crap just doesn't happen! Lizzie was going to go home, throw a Marvel Marathon, pull her duvet out onto the coach and eat Ben and Jerry's till the Cows came home. All was not lost…yet.

"You know what?" He called as she spun on her heel and started towards the steps. "You're just like the wind _Ella_." Her newly created nickname rang through the snow and caressed her ears. "Cold and bitter."

While Will stood chuckling and looking rather pleased with himself, Elizabeth (Or Ella as she is now known) turned around and threw a glare that could melt even the coldest of lakes.

"Well would you like to know who _you_ remind _me _of _Fitzwilliam_?" The venom laced around his name cut his laughter short as he stared at a fiery Lizzie.

_Something tells me I'm not going to like this…_ A voice sung in the back of his mind.

"You remind me _William_" With each word she stepped closer and closer to her slowly retreating prey "of somebody I used to know called-"

CRASH!

The sound of splintering wood and a mighty crash echoed through the dark night surrounding Netherfield.

Lizzie grabbed onto the wooden beam at her side as waves of vibrations flooded the ground around them. This cannot be good.

"What was that?" She asked, squinting to look past the trees.

"Oh I'll just turn my action replay, x-ray vision on and find out for you shall I?" Will replied, sarcastically.

Slowly he leaned up off the door frame and walked towards Lizzie's side, still staring out into the inky darkness.

"The floor vibrated." He breathed, blue eyes darting back and forth "Whatever it was, it must have been big…"

"Are you sure it wasn't just you shifting from foot to foot?" She whispered back.

A slight pause ensued until the soft whistling of the snow was interrupted by Darcy's reply.

"Positive."

Before Lizzie could even _stimulate_ a witty reply, Darcy turned around and walked back into the house.

_Well that was a bit rude…_She thought. _He could have at least said bye…_

Sighing, Elizabeth put her foot down on the first step. However disappointed she was to be leaving- Wait. She was disappointed to be leaving? That can't be right surely…? Maybe it was because she had _so_ many awesome insults just waiting to be thrown in Darcy's direction?

Yeah…It's got to be that…_Obviously_.

Halfway down the steps, Elizabeth's journey was, once again, interrupted by the sound of a door slamming and quick footsteps.

"What the-"

Darcy walked out of the warmly lit door, swinging a very expensive looking scarf over his shoulder before pulling the door to behind him, walking down the porch, and jumping over the banister.

Lizzie gawped after the tall figure wearing a long, black, Sherlock style coat, flowing in the wind behind him. Well that's not something you see every day…

_Just get in the car Lizzie_, her mind instructed, _Get in the car and drive back home before the snow gets too thick and you're stuck with that buffoon…Whatever you do, don't ask him where he's going._

"Don't ask where he's going" She repeated in her head like a mantra. "Don't ask where he's going"

But containing and restraining curiosity never was Elizabeth's strong point.

"Where are you going!?" She yelled after him. _Schnitzel_.

"To see what that was!" He shouted back, still trudging down the drive. "Are you coming?!"

_It's not too late to redeem yourself Lizzie…Do NOT follow him!_

She dithered on the spot trying to decide what to do.

_Get into the car and DRIVE Lizzie! And maybe, just maybe, if you're lucky enough you can run the douchebag over while you're doing so…_

Yet something was stopping her. Like a magnet she felt herself being pulled towards him, eager to follow him.

_Then again Lizzie, you can't just leave him_… She reasoned _…I mean, Jane would KILL me if something to him…_

As the saying goes, opposites attract.

* * *

Elizabeth tried (And failed) to jog silently up to William without being noticed. For every step Darcy took Lizzie found herself taking at least two and the thick snow that curled around her boots wasn't exactly helping the situation at all.

"Oh. How lovely to see you again Ella!" He smiled, glancing at her slightly as she gasped, finally catching up with him. "How kind of you to join me."

"Shut up." She muttered between shallow breaths.

On any other day they probably would have descended into a deep pit of awkward silence but it seemed as though Darcy was in quite a…_testing_ mood this evening.

"And here I was thinking you followed me for my stimulating conversation." He grinned, eyes dancing.

"You couldn't hold a stimulating conversation with a loaf of bread!" The ground crunched under their feet, the whole expanse covered in a thick, soft white blanket.

"That's partly because LOAVES OF BREAD DON'T TALK!"

"You get what I mean!" She hissed back, wishing she had just got in the car and ran him over as planned. She could have easily just said she'd skid and thought she'd hit a rock or something.

"What? That you're a crazy and slightly delusional?" He mocked.

"Clearly I am" The heat rushed to Lizzie's cheeks as argued back "I should have got into my car and drove as FAR AWAY from you ASAP!"

They walked on in silence as the snow fell fast around them. Both were wrapped in thoughts of the other, neither willing to admit the truth behind them, until Darcy couldn't cope with the suffocating silence anymore and felt a dire desperation to hear her voice- I mean, _annoy_ her (Of course) some more.

"ASAP" He muttered "Who abbreviates when they talk?"

Have you ever heard the saying _they get on like a house on fire_?

Yeah, well Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth…They got on like a bloody inferno.

"Well I'm sorry Mr I've-just-stepped-straight-out-of-the-18th-century, if my use of colloquial English irritates your _high_ and _mighty_ ASS!" Elizabeth stopped out of breath, chest heaving. William cocked his head to the side slightly and looked at her with a look of innermost curiosity.

"I have had my ass described as many things Ella, but high and mighty is definitely new…" He nodded his head slowly in approval "I am glad you think so, thank you. I do try my best…"

And it was at that moment that Elizabeth Luciana Bennet promised herself that one day (Hopefully in the near future) she was going to slap that little smirk off his so-goddamn-hot face.

Even with the hatred pulsing through her veins she couldn't deny the guy was hot. The very definition of _tall, dark and handsome_ has got to be Fitzwilliam Darcy…

Hey! Give the girl a break! She's only human…

Except maybe for Darcy…His body was godly,

_Don't even go there Lizzie…Just don't!_

Incapable of even forming a coherent reply to such a comment, Elizabeth just gave him the #Iamnotamused look before muttering darkly under her breath.

_Stupid man thinking he's mister high and mighty and that all the girls will fall at his feet-_

"Are you okay?" He asked with fake concern "You're muttering away like a bloody witch chanting a curse or some crap."

"Oh William." She answered dryly "However did you guess? I'm clearly a witch."

"SHE'S A WITCH!" Will yelled, jumping up and down, a long slender finger pointing at her sceptical face. "Sorry." He said once he'd stopped "Always wanted to do that…So what you plotting? Several ways to charm the pants of this gorgeous man" He flicked his hair sending snowflakes flying "You see standing before you."

Cue unnecessary waggling of eyebrows.

"Oh no…I was just trying to down size your already enormously enlarged head!"

"Oooohhhh Ella. That one's _really_ going to sting." He laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Plus" She added after a moment's thought "Hasn't dear ol' Caroline done a damn fine job of that already?"

Darcy stopped laughing immediately and glared while Elizabeth fell about with hysterical laughter.

Elizabeth had never actually understood why he hated people assuming he had something going on with Caroline when she was ALWAYS attached to him! She hung onto him like a puppy and practically groped him at any given opportunity. Not that she was jealous or anything- pft. No.- She just didn't understand what Will's issue was. I don't even think WILL understood what his issue was.

He and Caroline had a LOT of history but he was always very shady about it… Lizzie, at first, had thought they were going out or maybe they had gone out at some point. It was clear Darcy's family were eager for the match (At least Lady C was) and it was CLEAR AS FRIGGIN DAY LIGHT Caroline was in for the win, so what was holding them back?.

When Caroline wasn't groping him or whispering stupid crap in his ears, she was dragging him away into private areas of the house and keeping him away from ANYONE (And I mean ANYONE) else. Maybe they were friends with benefits…?

Lizzie couldn't understand the raging fury that rose within her at this thought as much as she couldn't understand the enigma that was Fitzwilliam Darcy. All she knew was that as much as Darcy didn't like people assuming he and Caroline were a thing, she suddenly didn't like that idea much either.

She glanced up at Darcy who was staring determinedly in front of them. His jaw was clenched highlighting the strong, masculine structure of his face even more. Elizabeth decided that all though he may be a jerk and whatnot he:

Was in fact, very hot.

Scrap that- _extremely hot._

And

Didn't deserve the after-the-rich bitch Caroline. No matter how much of an asshole you are, no one deserves that crap.

The moon finally won its war with the clouds and drenched Netherfield with its silvery rays. The trees swayed to the bliss music of the snow as the flakes danced in order, yet neither Ella or Will noticed. Will was too busy being angry at- well, everything- and Lizzie was too busy being confused and in denial.

So when they both turned the last corner facing Netherfield's gate neither of them noticed at first what was wrong. Neither of them noticed the cracks in the ground, the break in the snow OR the ancient tree lying discarded on the ground, blocking all entrance to and from the drive.

But when they did, boy did they gasp…

And scream…

And gasp a little more…

Oh dear Lord.

"Well…" Darcy said after a long pause "At least it didn't smash the gate…"

Because that, of course, was the very height of their problems.

* * *

**Author's Note (Again.)**

**Reviews for my two other stories will be caught up on soon...Promise (As will PMs). T'W'S will be updated god knows when (Sorry!) And your comments would be really appreciated! I would love to know where you'd like this story to go and where I could improve! Must dash, Maths work is a'callin'...Oh the joys...  
**

**Ally xxx****  
**


	2. Happy Christmas you Arse

**Author's Note: **

**Erm. Yeah. So this is unedited and a bit jumpy (It HAD to be updated now or else!) and I may take it down and rewrite (Not change the plot just…present it better and all.) as the grammar and whatnot is AWFUL! On another note I would just like to say a) THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! Though it would be great to hear from more of you! b) PMs will be replied to ASAP. School is being a bit of an arse at the moment. I barely had time to write this! c) Since I appear to have forgotten to reply to all of your lovely reviews to Ignorance is Bliss I thought I'd do it now. It seems a bit cheeky to reply now individually, so long after you posted them, so I'd just like to say THANK YOU to everyone who did and I LOVE YOU! And lastly, I'm in the process of writing the next chapter for T'W'S but that, my dear friends, is another story…**

**Ally xxx**

* * *

Happy Christmas you arse, I pray God it's our last…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lizzie screamed, dropping to the floor. "THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!" She scrambled in the snow, towards the tree, and started beating it with her gloved fists.

"BEGON YOU WRETCHED THING!" She yelled, throwing her body weight against it "BE GONE!"

Darcy watched on half amused, and half confused, as Elizabeth tried punching, kicking, scratching, throwing, shouting abuse and rolling the tree out of the way. The very VERY big tree, out of the way. C'mon. It was a funny picture.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve?" William asked, stepping closer.

Elizabeth's head snapped to the side as she glared at his hovering figure.

"As fun as it would be to stay here with you Darcy, and listen to your pathetic crap for hours on end, I have plans."

Darcy snorted and raised an eyebrow "You have plans? I'll believe that on a hot January."

Instead of lashing out her anger on Darcy (As she _so_ dearly wished she could), Lizzie turned back to the tree and carried on trying to assault it out of their way. Needless to say, the tree was a stubborn one.

"Seriously Lizzie" Darcy droned, stepping forward "What are you actually trying to do."

"Move it out of the way" A grunt escaped her lips as she wrapped her fingers under the big log and heaved. Moss coated the stripes on her gloves as the snow melted through the seams. Typical. Absolutely typical.

"What? By picking it up?" The snow crunched as he stepped even closer to her kneeling figure. His long shadow blocked her light, and his tone ignited the fire within her. Things were not going Elizabeth's way today and, god save me, she didn't like it. "Thinking isn't exactly your strong point is it?"

"Well I don't see you doing anything to help Mr I'm-so-better-than-everybody-else! At least I'm trying! There is no way on this damn planet I am spending my evening in that house with you because with this bloody thing in the way, I ain't getting nowhere." She screamed, thumping the ground around her.

William stood, wide eyed, letting the words sink in.

_If this tree doesn't budge_ He thought, _She'll have to spend the night…_

_The night…_

_THE NIGHT!_

Will dropped to his knees next to Lizzie and frantically started trying to lift the tree. Lizzie (Glad for the extra power, no matter the source) threw all her muscle into it, grunting and straining and using some serious elbow grease to try and get the damn thing out of the way. But the tree would not move. Lizzie was stuck.

"This" She panted, doubled over "Is all your fault…If you had just let me go when I goddamn wanted to, I'd be out of this gate and on my merry way home right now. Thanks a bunch William. You've screwed things right up as normal."

"Me!" He exclaimed, incredulous "You're kidding right? If it wasn't for me you'd have been in your car right under this tree at the exact time it fell."

"Seems like a better alternative to me." She muttered.

"Actually, I saved your life. You should be forever grateful."

Elizabeth stared at him and decided that if she stayed in that house, there was nothing stopping her from creeping into his room at night and brutally murdering him. Lizzie was never good at managing temptation and she didn't really fancy a life sentence…Nope. Prison was not the place to be.

"I am getting out of here." She said to no one in particular. "Even if it kills me."

* * *

Lizzie sat behind the wheel of her little black beetle, foot on the accelerator, engine roaring, car just waiting to shoot forward while Darcy stood beside the car incredulous.

"You can't be serious." He mumbled, watching how her hands gripped the steering wheel and the determination flashed in her eyes.

"Oh I am." She said, winking at him "Deadly."

"This is bloody deadly!" He shouted over the engine "What are you going to do? _Drive_ through the tree!?"

Lizzie arched her brow and gave him the look. "Don't be stupid Darcy. That's just idiotic."

She looked back at the log lying ten metres in front of the car, Darcy's eyes following hers. After he had dragged the car all the way up the hill at Lizzie's request (She black mailed him fair and square), Lizzie had just positioned it to face the log, jumped in the driver's seat and revved the car like she was James Bond about to drive out of a glass building. No explanation. Nothing. Just sheer revving horse power.

Though what Darcy hadn't noticed was the ginormous pile of snow that had miraculously appeared- as it definitely wasn't there when he left- in front of the log. It must have been put there as the rest of the snow around it wasn't that thick, _and_, as he stared a little harder, he noticed it almost sloped…Like a ramp…

"No." Darcy said, realisation flooding through him "That's-"

"Genius, I know." She grinned.

"You're going to DRIVE OVER the log?" Disbelief swam through his eyes as he tried to understand what was actually wrong with this crazy woman called Elizabeth Bennet and how much it would cost to take her to a psychiatrist. He decided she wouldn't exactly be an easy case.

"Like I said; genius." She waggled her eyebrows and smirked at Darcy's clearly confused expression.

"More like _retarded_!" He exclaimed "It's SUICIDE!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and leaned back on her seat listening to Darcy's rant about how "stupid she was" and how she needed to "grow up and stop living in her own little bubble" and some other stuff she didn't know because she pretty much stopped listening as soon as he opened his mouth.

_His bodies hot_- she thought to herself- _But the rest of him is not._

When Will had _finally_ finished Lizzie placed her elbow where the window would normally be (Will had wound it down) and propped up her head.

"_Trust_ me." She said, smiling "I'm a _Physicist_."

And if she thought THAT would reassure him, my god was she wrong.

William suddenly felt himself flying back through time to every memory where Elizabeth had said the words "Trust me, I'm a Physicist".

_"Trust me." Lizzie said, holding a pin to the sinking damp patch, filled with water, on the ceiling "I'm a Physicist."_

_"Trust me!" Lizzie sung, placing a glass jar of nutella in the microwave "I'm a Physicist."_

_"Trust me." Lizzie grinned from around the open, smoking car bonnet. A piece of chewing gum in one hand, an elastic band in the other "I'm a Physicist."_

_"TRUST ME!" Lizzie shouted down from the third story balcony, a homemade parachute attached to her back, dragging on the floor "I'M A PHYSICIST!"_

This would usually end with either

a) Jane driving someone (Usually Lizzie) to A&E

Or

b) William, Charlie and Richard going on a 'man's trip' to B&Q to buy the appropriate materials needed to fix whatever damage Lizzie had done (Generally plaster and a LOT of paint.)

So no. These words didn't really calm William at all.

"Ella, stop being stupid." His sharp voice cut across the snow and rung in her ears "Just get out of the car and into the house before we both freeze to death."

"Honey." She flirted "I know that I'm the sole party and fun in your life and that you are desperate to spend all your time with me, but the feeling is not requited. As fun as it would be to spend my entire evening with you, I would rather gouge out my eyeballs with a spork. Okay? So if you could just skedaddle out of the way, that'd be great."

"Ella" He said sternly, leaning down to the car window "This is not going to work."

"Pft." She snorted. "Of course it is. The plans fault proof!"

"YOU MADE A RAMP OUT OF SNOW!" He screamed, nearly ripping his hair out.

"Well done William! You correctly identified a pile of snow!" She said in her most patronizing voice "Gold star for you!"

"I bet you a hundred goddamn pounds this does not work." He said, eyes boring into hers.

"I don't want your money Darcy." She sighed "I don't want to put Caroline out of business or anything."

Darcy let out a cry of frustration before kneeling down next to the car so he was eye (Ish) level with Elizabeth.

"Fine. Do it." He huffed, throwing his arms in the air "But if- no- _when_, this doesn't work you have to get straight into that house, no complaining, no fighting, nothing…. Oh and you must declare yourself the biggest moron to ever grace the grounds."

"And if I do make it over…?" She challenged.

"I will be your personal slave for an entire day."

"Week."

"Week-end."

"Week."

"Three days?"

"WEEK!"

"Fine…" Will sighed, looking out into the snow "It won't matter anyway because it's NOT GOING TO WORK!"

"Since when did you care so much?" She muttered aloud to herself. Darcy had never cared before.

In fact, he had always been the one egging her on to do the stupid reckless stuff so then he'd have an excuse to laugh at her for an ungodly amount of time, or write stupid crap over her casts while she was asleep (Last time she had to wear a glove on her left hand until the thing was off thanks to his inappropriate puns that he'd sharpie-d all over her hand cast.)

"I'm in charge of the house and therefore have a duty of care. I take this duty of care very seriously." He replied instantly.

Elizabeth looked at him calmly, a small smile playing on her lips.

"You know what your problem is Darcy…?" She asked, sickly sweet.

"What?" He huffed.

"You're a douchebag. Now if you don't mind…" Darcy pulled himself up and stepped back towards the trees. Lizzie pressed her foot right down on the accelerator and felt the car shake beneath her. She looked forward to the log that lay mocking her and her inability to escape. But not for long…

It's make or break time.

"THREE!" Lizzie yelled, adrenaline pulsing through her veins.

"TWO!" William winced at how small and fragile Lizzie looked behind the wheel.

"ONE!" Lizzie released the clutch letting the wheels spin frantically in the thick snow caked across the grounds.

"C'mon" She muttered, willing the car forward "C'mon!"

Suddenly, the car started slowly creeping forward, gradually gaining speed.

"YEEESSSS!" Elizabeth roared.

"No." Darcy gasped.

He watched, dumbfounded, as Lizzie's left hand guided the car towards her makeshift ramp and Lizzie's right hand founds its way out of the open window and began making very rude gestures towards him (The middle finger played a large part in this display.).

The front wheels hit the ramp and the back wheels span round, sending snow flying everywhere, but she could still feel the car moving forward. The wheels span and span, the engine roared and Lizzie yelled encouragements at her car and profanities at Darcy when, finally, the back wheels caught friction and pushed the beetle forward. The car jerked and started (At a rather scary angle) climbing up the ramp until the first two wheels hit the log.

Elizabeth realised, as the right wheel got caught on an uneven piece of wood, that she hadn't actually built a ramp the other side of the log which meant, if she continued at this angle, she'd topple over, crash, burn and then have to admit defeat to Darcy (As he eulogized her funeral.) which would not be good at all. She stopped and put the hand break on needing time to think this through.

Maybe if she twisted right more she could- ah yes. That'd work. Well done.

And who said you couldn't trust a Physicist?

Elizabeth revved the car again, waiting to catch the bite to get the car over and be free, once and for all, from Darcy and his ridiculous- well, self.

_This is going to have to be fast though_ She told herself _if you give the car any time before you dart forward, the car will start rolling backwards down this hill…And it's a pretty steep hill._

She clutched the hand break, revved the car and then she-

And then-

She-

Stalled. Elizabeth Bennet, the physicist everyone could trust, stalled the goddamn car.

"SHIT!" Elizabeth screamed, desperately turning the key in the ignition, begging the car to come back to life and that annoying little ticking noise (That sat there and mocked her) to be replaced by the lively sound of the engine. But it seemed as though the ice had finally gotten to it. The car was just not used to doing that much work.

The car tugged at the log, which creaked, but the wheels were caught still. The rear wheels spun, still on the ramp, and slowly sunk through the snow letting the car gradually fall back, lodging itself into the snow.

It took around five seconds for the car to completely sink into the ramp at a horrific angle, proving the car stuck until further notice (I.e. When the snow eventually melted.). It took a further two seconds for Lizzie to start screaming and banging her head of the dashboard and another six for Darcy to jog over to the site and begin his mocking routine.

"Don't. Say. Anything." Lizzie spat, forehead pressed against the wheel, as Darcy arrived grinning at her window.

"Trust me, she said." He leant back and surveyed the full damage done to both the car and ramp "I'm a physicist, she said."

"This isn't funny."

Darcy pressed his lips into a tight line and tried to force down the rich, dark barks of laughter that threatened to break free from his lips.

"You're right. It's not funny." He said seriously. "It's HILARIOUS!"

William fell about laughing while Lizzie pushed the door open and carefully stepped out onto the log next to him.

"I thought _She's doing it…she's actually doing it!_" Darcy laughed, holding his sides "And then- And then- YOU STALLED!"

Elizabeth muttered a few choice words under her breath and then jumped off the log and started making her way down the drive back to the house. If the log hadn't made it impossible for them to leave, the beetle dangling off it definitely did. Trust Elizabeth to go and lose the bloody deal. Full steam ahead to torture town with Fitzwilliam Darcy!

"I mean, you STALLED!" He shouted, following a shamed Elizabeth.

Her pride was badly bruised- She's not recovering from this anytime soon.

"Can I have the pleasure of your absence now?" She muttered, kicking the snow in front of her.

"You really can't make this stuff up." He chuckled "You really can't."

"Where you never taught manners when you were younger, it's not nice to be a sore winner." Her feet dragged across the snow as she slumped down the hill.

In any other circumstances William would have been furious to have to spend an evening with Elizabeth- That woman interrupting _his_ precious free time? NO WAY!- but he was too busy trying to steady his breath and walk in a straight line to take in the full situation.

"I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter." He smirked.

"Aren't there enough people in this world who hate you, without you working so hard to get another one?" She quizzed, glaring at his tall figure.

"Don't say things like that" William shot back "It just makes you sound stupid. In fact, don't talk at all. It just makes you sound stupid."

They reached the bottom of the steps, leading to the porch, and paused.

"The only thing that keeps me from breaking you in half is that I don't want two of you around." Lizzie hissed, attempting to stare him out.

"The feeling is mutual, my dear" He narrowed his eyes and arched a brow "The feeling is mutual."

He gave her one last look before he jogged up the steps and swung open the door, walking through the rush of heat and bright light.

Elizabeth reluctantly followed him and found herself standing in Netherfield's hallway. She may be stubborn and hateful, but even _she_ had the sense to get in the house before the cold killed her.

As the great oak door slammed shut the teasing nature and laughter melted away from the room. They both stood, awkward, unsure how to proceed. Neither of them had ever had to deal with the others company alone for long, and even on the rare occasion when this did happen, they had the opportunity to dramatically storm out and never have to see each other until they were thrown into some ridiculous social gathering (Which was surprisingly often for such people.) .

Will plastered the cocky smile back on his face, not wanting Lizzie to spot his discomfort, and Lizzie screwed up her face in displeasure proving how much she just HATED his company.

They both just _oozed_ denial.

As Lizzie plucked the hat from her head and shook out her hair, she looked back at Darcy who was carefully unlacing his shoes.

Feeling her stare Darcy's eyes rose, meeting hers before they could dart away.

"You know Eliza" He grinned "You should consider yourself lucky being snowed in with a handsome fella like me." Will waggled his eyebrows as a little bit of sick found itself in Lizzie's mouth. "Things could be worse!"

Just as Will finished, the lights overhead flickered vigorously and the usual hum of the heaters within the house stopped with a cough, gasp and a wheeze. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth stared at the lights with horror as they blinked for the last time then lost all life within them.

The house was thrown into a deep empty dark silence.

"Oh god."

Darcy ran into the lounge and tried switching on every electrical appliance known to man. Lizzie followed but then ran to the window and noted that even the Christmas lights that had once decorated the porch had gone out. The snow was coming down harder than ever, it was so thick, in fact, she could barely make anything out outside of the window.

Elizabeth heard footsteps behind her and felt Darcy's hot breath on her neck.

"The backup generator is going to kick in any second now." He said, more to himself than her.

Elizabeth placed her palm against the glass, the nerves in her fingers tingling.

She didn't know why she did it. It just felt like the right thing to do at the time. The harsh bitter cold of the glass somehow calmed her fearful mind.

"Any second now." He repeated, watching her pale fingers graze the glass.

"_Any_ second now." His fingers twitched in the direction of her hand but he resisted the urge.

They waited in bated silence, begging the backup generator to kick in. Without electricity they had no light, no heat, no nothing.

Elizabeth's eyes were drawn to the reflection of the log fire in the background behind them- The only heat and light source in the _entire_ house that didn't need electricity.

"You just had to ask what would be worse didn't you?" She hissed "You just had to ask…"

Read my lips my friends when I say, this can _only_ lead to trouble.

* * *

**Author's Note (Yes again. And what!?),**

**I'd love to hear from you and know what you think! I know it's a bit weird but- yeah. I tried and I'm tired and this NEEDED to be done today (Sorry!)… Life. Also, since I always seem to do reference competitions, I have a game. Each chapter (You may have noticed) is a song lyric from a Christmas Song. Special- err- recognition (?) to anyone who can spot them! Also I'd love to know where you want this story to go, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Merry Christmas,**

**Ally xxx**


	3. The Season of Yule Warms the Heart

**Author's Note:**

***scratches back of head* Well... This is awkward. You know how I was all like "Yeah this will /totally/ be done for Christmas?" Erm. Well yeah- It was. And then I lost internet connection on my laptop for like a WHOLE WEEK (I got it back yesterday.) Therefore this story is going to have to run over Christmas (Which sucks) and will finish on New Years Eve instead of Christmas Eve (This is so goddamn suckey it's unreal.). Due to the loss of internetty connection and the fact that I leave EVERYTHING to last minute I might not get through all the reviews by the time this uploads (I have read them but need to reply) so yeah. I'm sorry. ANYWAY, on to more important things: MERRY (Belated) CHRISTMAS or HAPPY UNIVERSAL SEASONS GREETINGS! I hope you, your family and friends had a GREAT Christmas full of goodwill and -err- general goodness! :D  
**

**Ally xxx****  
**

* * *

The season of Yule warms the heart

Fifty candles flickered across the windowsills bathing the room in a rich golden light. The fire crackled and the glass glistened as Elizabeth Bennet lay upside down on the couch, phone in the air, trying to reach a signal.

"This is ridiculous." She muttered, waving her phone around fruitlessly "One thing after a bloody 'nother... Does fate really hate me this much?"

She had been trying for the past god-knows-how-long to get through to Jane for at least SOME support and advice. Right now Lizzie _really_ needed to hear the calming voice of her sister assuring her that murdering Darcy and using his flesh as a blanket would not be the right thing to do but, if worst came to worst, the death penalty no longer exists. She really needed to hear that right now… Really.

To any onlooker the dimly lit living room looked like the perfect romantic cliché. Candles covered every surface possible, two crystal wine glasses and a bottle of red wine sat on the coffee table, blankets were folded and stacked in their dozens on the surrounding arm chairs and the fire was as warm and welcoming as ever. But trust me; it was not.

Elizabeth huffed in frustration and threw her phone at the nearest pile of blankets, pouting. Even if she did get through to anyone she knew there was nothing they could do but she felt the need to hear another person's voice that wasn't deep, rich and agonizingly patronizing.

Pulling herself up off the chair, Lizzie stood up and started to survey the room. She walked across the room over to a bookcase she was positive had only ever been used by two people (Herself and Darcy) and scanned the spines of the books. A few of her favourite books lined the shelves as well as books she didn't recognise which, she assumed, must be Darcy's. He had quite an interesting choice in literature, she eventually concluded, his selection was really quite diverse. Finally she pulled out a copy of one of her much loved books, threw it down onto the pile of blankets and then began exploring the room she spent most of her time in all over again.

Despite the hundreds of times she had been there she had never noticed the intricate detail hidden in places like the wallpaper or the fireplace- nor had she ever taken time to admire the pictures that lay, framed, across them. On the fireplace alone there were ten different frames each displaying a different memory.

Bingley's family, Bingley's friends, her family, her friends- but the one that attracted her attention most was the one placed straight in the middle of the ledge. It was no different to the other pictures really, they were nowhere _that_ special and all the people in the said image had been pictured before in other frames… It was the memory that came with its sight, however, that captivated Elizabeth the most.

It was a dark night but the lights from the club in the background provided more than enough light for the photo as Charlotte, Richard, Bingley, Caroline, Jane, Elizabeth and William all stood smiling in the middle of the street. The men looked all smart in their charming suits whereas the girls were all made up with curled hair and beautiful dresses. Jane had insisted on taking the photo. Lizzie had protested and Will had backed her (Claiming Elizabeth would _surely_ break the camera) but Jane had been particularly forceful that time around; more so than usual. Charlotte and Richard had somehow got themselves on the edges and were doing the classic, half-bent-knees-with-thumbs-up pose. Bingley and Jane were more in the centre, arms around each other smiling sweetly. Caroline was clinging to Darcy (Surprise, surprise) and smiling her fake ass smile, but William and Lizzie- There was something going on there that picture didn't quite pick up on.

They'd mysteriously (It was all Jane's doing) ended up next to each other while everyone was rushing into place before the auto-capture went off. As they'd all huddled up together Darcy- in the spur of the moment- had done something Elizabeth would never forget. He had put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She could remember the warm tingling sensation he had sent through his body and how he nearly jumped out of his skin when he realised what he'd done. Almost as soon as his hand rested on her side he let go, snapped his arm back to his side, and stood awkwardly trying to put as much distance between them as humanly possible. Before Elizabeth even had time to question him about it Jane started counting down so, to keep the peace, Elizabeth just ignored it and smiled.

But ignoring it was easier said than done. It was hard to ignore the way a simple touch from him had ignited such a fire inside her she had never experienced in her life. The way his arm had pressed against the small of her back, the way his fingers brushed against the silk of her dress, the way his-

Suddenly the front door slammed sending Elizabeth flying back into reality. Sometimes her thoughts on a certain gentleman took her to weird and wonderful places. She did not like these weird and wonderful places… Not at all.

Darcy slumped into the room and shuffled over to the coach while ripping off and dropping various pieces of outdoor clothing to the floor. He collapsed onto the settee and sighed, dragging one hand down his face.

"No signal." He murmured, deadpanned "No backup generator. No light. No electricity. I searched the entire park but, alas, there is _nothing_… And now I am freezing."

While Elizabeth had been left the enormous task of taming the fire, collecting the blankets and lighting the candles, Darcy had been out searching the grounds for- Well. He wasn't exactly sure _what_ he wanted, he just knew he needed something. And some fresh air.

As soon as they had realised they were positively and undeniably screwed, Lizzie and Will had _immediately_ started quarrelling and arguing until they eventually stormed off onto their different paths and issued themselves different jobs. They didn't even last ten minutes… This is going to be one interesting evening for sure.

"Oh poor little Willie" Elizabeth cooed in a voice uncannily similar to Caroline's "Does he want me to throw him in the fire to try and warm him up, or does he want his gold medal for being the biggest wuss in England?"

"I'd like you to shut the hell up." He muttered, closing his eyes and shuffling to try and get warm.

"Too bad that's not going to happen isn't it?"

Elizabeth stepped away from the fireplace and walked around the table until she was standing directly in front of Darcy. Slowly she knelt down until she was level with Darcy's face.

"It'd be great if you could move your lazy arse over so I could sit down."

"Sit over there." He rolled away from her and huffed.

"But this chair is comfier." She whined. It was true to be fair to Elizabeth. Everybody knew the loveseat was the comfiest seat in the house (It was the source of many arguments) and, although the seat was made for two, there was NO WAY Lizzie and Will were sharing.

"Ella." He smiled, pushing himself up. "Choose a number between one and ten."

"What?"

"Choose a number between one and ten… Even you are capable of that." He added archly.

Elizabeth paused unsure of his intentions but then decided she didn't care and answered "Eight."

"Square it."

"Sixty four." She answered, without missing a beat.

"Divide that by your original number." He grinned.

"Eight…" To say Elizabeth was slightly confused by Darcy's sudden desire to test her mathematical ability would be an understatement of the century.

"Now subtract your original from your current number."

Elizabeth rose an eyebrow sceptically but Darcy just smiled and gestured for her to get along with it.

"Zero." She finally pronounced, hesitantly.

"Well done Ella." He smirked smugly "That is the official percentage of how many damns I give about you and your 'comfy-ness'…. Now shift."

If looks could kill, my dear friends, Darcy would be cold in his grave.

"I swear to god Darcy!" She screamed before she started hitting him frantically with one of the fancy cushions "You are a total DOUCHE!"

"You love it really." He waggled his eyebrows and grabbed her wrists before he could she could hit him again. The warmth of his touch penetrated through her skin sending the tingles she had felt the same night of the picture through her body.

"Let go of me." She said voice barely above a whisper.

"Make me." He challenged.

Before either of them could even register what was happening Elizabeth was on top of William as he struggle to try and keep her hands from wringing out his neck. She attempted to wrestle him off the chair as he tried to push the crazy woman (As he thought her) back on to the floor.

"GET OFF ME!" He yelled over her battle cries, hands clamps around her wrists.

"NEVEERRR!" She screamed, shacking his shoulders.

William reached forward to grab Elizabeth and push her of the chair just as Elizabeth went in to grab his broad shoulders for a second time. As his hands found themselves on her waist and her hands on his shoulders their eyes locked with a clash of harsh blue and soft hazel, exploding into a burst of silent passion. They both froze in their place and just stared incapable of looking away, unaware of their current position. Darcy lay with his back pressed against the couch as Elizabeth was on all fours hovering over him.

Slowly Elizabeth felt herself leaning forward and William felt his head gradually tilting up. Their faces were inches, mere inches, from one another when suddenly-

CRACK!

A branch from an over hanging tree whipped (Courtesy of the wind) against the window very nearly shattering the glass.

Darcy and Elizabeth jumped away from each other (And out of their skin) gasping and confused like they had just been awoken from some trance.

As the realisation sunk in Darcy blushed and scolded himself for his insolence.

He had better keep himself under a stricter check, for he had nearly just lost himself in the dark fiery eyes of Elizabeth Bennet.

* * *

**Author's Note (For the second time, yes)**

**Neh. Ending could have been better I suppose but, yeah. You get the general idea *winks* the next chapter just needs editing (Again) and, if I say so myself, I am pretty damn happy with it! Reviews would be _very_ welcome (I apologise in advance for not being able to respond to them all although I have read them) as would follows and favourites! I would love to hear how you think this story's going to end- as we have one chapter left *fangirl scream*- and how YOU would like it to end. Last Chapter dedication to ANYONE who can guess the songs the chapter names came from (At least one) as so far you all have been pretty suckey with your guess :p Thank you for the sudden surge of reviews with the last chapter! Best. Christmas. Present. EVER. (Sort of.) :D**

**HAVE A GREAT FESTIVE SEASON MY FURY LITTLE FRIENDS!  
**

**Ally xxx  
**


	4. Saying Something Stupid

**Author's Note:**

**I am SO sorry this has taken so long! I got it beta-ed yesterday (Is that even a word?) because I wasn't quite sure about the ending (Just being my normal paranoid, needs-to-get-some-more-confidence self) but the lovely Mush (TammieeeMBfanxxxxxxxxxx... IDK. I always get it wrong.) assured me it was (And I quote... Lot of brackets today?) it was "Amazing" and "Very cute". So here you go.**

**It's only a month, 2 weeks and 2 days (ish) late. So not much... hope you all had a great holiday though!**

**Ally xxx**

**P.S. Sorry for all the unanswered reviews and PMs. This is the first time I've been on FF since leaving the note on "T'W'S" :s**

* * *

By saying something stupid like I love you…

Candles adorned the fireplace and windowsills as a blazing fire roared quietly in its place. William and Elizabeth sat together, on the loveseat, as far away from each other as they could muster. Thirty minutes they had been like this. For thirty minutes they had sat in silence, occasionally stealing wanton glances at each other, and pretending to read books that had barely turned a page since they had been opened that evening (Or night as it where.).

Elizabeth sighed and turned yet another page having no idea what the last contained. She had read this book a _million_ times (It was a favourite of hers) yet Robert Langdon and he's memorizing adventures and cute little habits, seemed unable to captivate her like it normally would. Even Vittoria Vetra's funny puns and seductive little comments couldn't keep her eyes on the page for longer than a minute. Elizabeth, it seemed, was just too aware of William's presence; and it unnerved her.

The words on the page blurred into one as Elizabeth lost her last shred of concentration. The silence was too loud, yet there was nothing she had left to say. She wanted to apologise for being such a jerk all the time. She wanted to say something stupid and make him laugh. She wanted (She finally admitted to herself) him not to hate her. Ever. But she still couldn't admit why.

The heat pulsed in the golden flames that licked the bars around the fire making her feel sleepy, and tired, yet comfy and secure. It made her feel like she was at home… Like this was how she was destined to spend every evening of the rest of her life, and that thought didn't bother her. What bothered her was how she was not bothered (If that made sense). What bothered her was Will sitting at the end of the settee, a plump cushion tucked between his raised knees and chest, book balancing in his hands. What bothered her was how he glanced at her slightly and smiled a smile that glistened in his eyes, sending a shiver down her spine.

"You're cold." He said, lowering his book "Is there anything I can get you?"

The silence had sat between them for so long, it felt unnatural to hear his voice, so soft, linger around her ears. His words took her by surprise. She had expected him just to roll his eyes and make a sarcastic comment about her 'cold heart' or something of the sort, not to be, well, kind.

"No…I'm fine." She muttered, looking back at her book.

Will rolled his eyes (Restoring Lizzie's confidence in life and all things she knew) and then propped his book on the chair of the arm before standing up, retrieving a blanket and handing it over to her.

"I'd rather you didn't die of the cold right now." His lips curled in the corners slightly "I can't exactly call for an ambulance and I really don't fancy performing CPR."

It was Lizzie's turn to return the eye rolling as she grasped the blanket and pulled it around her loosely. She smiled her thank you and turned back to her book before Will could say anything else. This evening was dragging and the whole spontaneity of it had lost her quite a long time ago. I mean, honestly. What are the chances?

She shifted around slightly, trying to get comfortable yet stay within her selected corner of the cushion. She didn't feel like arguing with Will right now- or ever for that fact. What had suddenly brought this resolve in Elizabeth, she had no idea. This evening had started off with them clawing and scratching each other till they bled and now they sat side by side (Kind of) like civilized human beings who hadn't skipped evolution. Somewhere between the screaming and the silence both William and Elizabeth had asked themselves the long ignored question; why? Why where they always fighting? Why had they vowed to hate each other for eternity? Why where they so damn persistent to keep a distance between them? Why?

Maybe they weren't so sure of the answer right now, or maybe they just weren't willing to admit it. Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth where very headstrong people who had always relied on their heart and mind to co-operate in major life decisions. So when the time came for them to just rely on their hearts, needless to say it was a very difficult…err…_time_ for them.

She wriggled around trying not to draw attention to herself but the blanket now wrapped around her left her rather restricted.

"You can put your feet up you know." Will smiled "I won't chop them off or anything."

"Well. I never know with you...You can be rather unpredictable at times." She lifted herself carefully, turned and drew her knees up, bringing her feet to the middle of the seat.

"I'm about as unpredictable as the English weather." He remarked, eyes flashing.

"But it always rains in England."

"My point exactly" The smile in his eyes bore through her. His gaze was intense and brought a blush she couldn't account for to her cheeks. Again she found herself lost for words so she said nothing; she just looked into the fire hoping the flames could give her answers to her burning questions.

"Why did you come here anyway?" Will asked suddenly. "You seemed on edge earlier, I forgot to ask."

"Ohh…" Elizabeth answered vaguely "I just needed to speak to Jane- Well. _Apologise_ actually."

Will rose an eyebrow and attempted to hide his smile.

"You were going to apologise…Like _actually_ apologise with the words "I'm sorry" and everything."

"Don't push it Darce. I'm only being nice because I care about my wellbeing and Jane won't be pleased if she comes home to find your ashes in her lovely antique fireplace."

He chuckled anyway despite her warning. He'd known her long enough to understand that her 'anger' was one giant ball of empty threats.

Unless you count the incident with the knife… Or the Garden scissors… Or the 'nearly fell head first down the stair case' incident…

Really Will should watch his back around Elizabeth. She was a dangerous woman.

"Why didn't you just PHONE her then? Didn't you see the weather warnings on the News? You could have saved us a _whole_ lot of trouble."

"Admit it" She smirked "I've made your evening… And it didn't feel right doing it over the phone."

"Must have been some big argument." He observed with slight concern.

"It was." She readjusted herself, again, on the cousins so she was sitting up and her feet where just inches from Will's thigh. "You caused it."

"Me?"

"No…the crazy cat lady behind you."

He went to look behind him instinctively then laughed. Although his exterior oozed a calm easy manner, inside his brain was working ferociously trying to figure out what he'd done.

"She says I'm not very nice to you." Lizzie said, answering his silent question. "She was getting all pissy saying I could at least _try_ to be nice and _pretend_ to like you… She got REALLY pissy when I said that you were an asshole and therefore deserved it."

"Thanks." He grinned.

"No probs."

They both sat there in silence again, for a while longer, thinking quietly to themselves about nothing in particular until Darcy decided to pipe up… Once again (He's quite chatty today.)

"I didn't mean to cause conflict between you and your sister." His downcast eyes looked more sincere than Elizabeth had ever seen them. And that was something.

"Neh. It's cool."

"If it makes it any better I can tell her you gave me a really sweet sincere apology. Like you practically _grovelled_ to be my friend… You brought a bottle of wine, flowers, a box of chocolate, the lot. You even tried to-"

"Okay Darcy… Let's try and keep it realistic. We both know I would have eaten the chocolates, drank the wine and _then_ gave you the bottle and the box." He chuckled at her joke before nodding in agreement. That was _very_ Elizabeth, he decided. "But you don't have to. I'll figure it out… But thanks for being, err, nice I suppose."

A faint blush rose in her cheeks as she ducked her head, covering her face with her hair.

Angry Darcy she could deal with. Sarcastic Darcy she was used to. Enigmatic Darcy was just the norm, and socially awkward Darcy… Every freaking day. But _nice_ Darcy? That was DEFINITELY new.

"You know" He said, bringing her out of her revere "I always prided myself upon the fact-"

"That you think you are superior and better than all men?"

Darcy rolled his eyes and puffed out his cheeks dramatically.

"No. That if the world came to an apocalyptic pause, I'd be one of the few in this society that could last without power and electricity."

"And who's that working out for you."

"It's killing me." He exaggerated, shaking his fists "I'm like _this_ far from picking up that wine bottle and drinking myself into a hazy oblivion. I. NEED. WIFI."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm like _this _far away from smashing that wine bottle and uses the shards to stab you into a hazy oblivion."

"Pft. Like you could live on this godforsaken plant knowing that my lovely smile will never grace this earth again."

"I think I could…In fact I would. With pleasure."

"Denial is a sweet thing isn't it?" He smiled, batting his eyelashes.

"You tell me Darcy boy, you tell me."

Lizzie looked up at Darcy and caught his eye with her smile. They both burst into a sweet musical meets deep, rich laughter which, believe me, was something that didn't happen often (unless we're counting laughing at other people's pain [Generally Bingley's] then it happens all the time.)

"Look at us…we're having a decent conversation without jumping down each other's throats." Lizzie giggled, sinking down into the blanket.

"You did just threaten to stab me to death with a wine bottle you were about to smash." He winked.

"Just still my thunder Darcy…steal my thunder."

As Will looked up at Elizabeth he felt something rise within his chest. Something very familiar but something he had always sought not to recognise. To say Elizabeth and William sat there that night _falling in a deep, passionate, irrevocable love with each other_ would be the BIGGEST LIE EVER.

William was a smart man and he knew what was going on. As he saw the smile shine through Elizabeth's eyes and felt the liquid hazel capture him once more, he knew that what he was feeling wasn't new… But (To avoid cliché's and over exaggerated romance let's put it this way) once you notice the small spider that you hate in the corner of the room, you can't look away. Once you've noticed something, you can't STOP noticing it. That spider could have been in your room for ages… It just needed to be noticed to be feared or, in William's case, truly felt.

Elizabeth, however, was having a much tougher time coming to grasps with what was making her heart beat speed up and where the sudden surge of tender thoughts in her head where coming from. Deep down, she knew (She had known now for a long time.) but- to go back to our spider theory- she was practicing the idea that "If we know the spider is in the corner, but we don't look at it, maybe we cannot fear it."

William eyed up the wine warily as a thought popped into his head. He thought he knew everything there was to know about Elizabeth but… Well. Since they hadn't _always_ (Or EVER.) got on this well, he couldn't be sure what happened in her personal life. It occurred to him that he knew nothing about Elizabeth's life when she a) wasn't in his company or b) when she wasn't at work.

He could list (In order) her favourite drinks and past jobs. He knew her favourite books and where she went to school but- let's say- her favourite colour. He didn't know that. Or who her friends where outside of their circle… or what she wanted to do when she was young. He knew the facts about where she grew up, and he had heard funny little stories from Jane, but he didn't know what she thought of it. What she had done through her childhood.

He only knew the facts… Not the stories behind them.

"Do you want to play a drinking game?" He quizzed.

"I don't drink." She tried to keep a straight face but the corner of her lips lifted themselves on their own accord.

"How do you have fun without drinking!"

"You don't have to be drunk to have fun." She sung.

"You don't have to drink to get drunk." He retorted.

"True true…What drinking games do you know anyway? Since when did you participate in such youthful pathetic pastimes such as _games_?"

Will chuckled and swiped his hair out of his face.

"It's a game me, Richard and Bingley play when we get drunk."

Elizabeth cocked a brow and gave him an inquisitive look.

"Okay. Let me rephrase, it's a game Richard and Bingley play when _they_ get drunk and I often get dragged into."

"Naturally."

"Of course."

"So what's the game?" She pulled the blanket closer to her and ducked nearly all her head underneath to hide her blush and smile. Why Will was suddenly being so nice to her and actually taking an interest she had NO idea but- hey! She wasn't complaining!

"It's basically Q&A but if your answer is not good enough you have to take a swig from the bottle." He gave the bottle a thoughtful look before adding "This generally ends with us just taking a swig after every question."

"So essentially all you're doing is playing truth or dare- minus the dares- and taking a drink after every breath."

"Fun fun fun!" He said in a voice laced with sarcasm.

Elizabeth didn't look persuaded. "I'll take your word for it."

Darcy stood up and grabbed the bottle on the table before falling back onto the couch and swinging himself to the side to face Elizabeth. He drew up his knees and placed his legs between Elizabeth's so they both sat with their backs resting on the arm rests, feet lounging in the middle, knees brushing off each others.

"You go first." Gingerly Lizzie took the bottle out of his hands and unwrapped the black seal snaked around its lid.

"Bring it."

The game started off with stupid questions like "_Who's your secret Celebrity Crush?"_ (Elizabeth- Colin Firth and Tom Hanks, Will- Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightly) and _"What's your most embarrassing memory?" _(Neither of which I will repeat), before they got a little tipsy, off both the alcohol and the moment, and started to…_open up_ to each other much more.

"So" Elizabeth said, thrusting the bottle in Will's reluctant hands "What's up with you and Caroline?"

Darcy groaned and dragged his hand down his face "I knew that was coming."

"Why…We got something to hide?" Elizabeth's voice was light and teasing but underneath her stomach was churning and her heart racing. So much depended on this answer, yet she couldn't quite understand how.

"No, it's just…" A small sigh escaped his lips as his eyes darkened and his smile faded. "It's just… Do you think me and Caroline suit each other?"

The question threw her off guard and words escaped her head.

"I… err…" She stammered.

"Because I…" He started "I don't want to- suit her that is- I don't want to be that kind of man."

"Then don't be?" She half asked, unsure of what to say.

"But my family they seem to think I am."

"Then show them that you're not."

"It's not that simple." Will's blue eyes sat fixated on the bottle. Elizabeth could see something was bothering him but didn't know what to ask. She had this uncanny ability of putting her foot in her mouth and dropping herself royally in it.

"It can be."

"We both know it can't."

Silence flooded the room as William's fingers tapped on the side of the bottle in a staccato pattern. The light airy mood disappeared, as did the drunk ecstasy that came with it. They both sat there, sober, unable to break the barrier that had risen between them.

"I don't want to marry her."

"Pardon."

"I don't want to marry Caroline… I don't want to marry _any_ woman like her, like that. My Aunt, she expects me to marry some rich, fancy woman who can bare me children, cook a traditional dinner, and ask me how my day was when I get home in five different languages."

"Five…?" Elizabeth nodded her head slowly. "Impressive."

"That was what you took from that?" He asked, archly.

"Huh? Oh right yeah, well if you don't want that kind of woman as a wife, tell your Aunt to stuff it. Nobody puts the Darcinator down! I mean, that's my job… And yes I'm aware of the contradictory nature of that last statement."

"You're mental." He laughed, running his fingers through his hair "Absolutely mental…"

He handed over the bottle into Elizabeth's waiting hands and tried to think of a question equal to his.

"What kind of woman _do_ you want then?" She asked after several minutes filled with silence and intense brain-racking on William's behalf.

"It's my turn to ask you a question." He reminded her.

"Yeah well… Do you have a question?" He glared at her playfully before gesturing for her to continue.

"You know what you don't want… But what _do_ you want?" She continued "Because- excuse me for being rude- I've just…" She sighed and admitted something that had been on his mind since she had asked him about Caroline. "I've just never really imagined you with, well… Anyone."

And that was the truth. It finally occurred to Elizabeth that William was a man. He had needs. He wasn't going to be around forever.

She couldn't understand why this revelation shocked her so much but, it did. William was the owner of some big ass company, he was rich beyond belief (However much he tried to hide it), he was hot- that's undeniable- like _very_ hot AND women were constantly falling at his feet, practically _begging_ him to so much as look at them. He wasn't always going to be sitting by her, ready to argue with her, ready to tease her and mock her. One day he was going to find another woman, he was going to fall madly in love with her and… And be _happy_.

He'd probably marry her and they'd have loads of beautiful children (Because- let's face it- this woman would be one HELL of a looker) and she would sit at the back of the church and watch. She'd watch as he married the woman of his dreams, she'd watch as their children were baptised, she'd watch as-

All of sudden she felt like her chest was constricting. A pain, like no other she had felt before, rippled through her chest making it difficult to breath.

And just like that. She finally noticed that little spider hiding in the corner. Albeit, it took for the spider to crawl down, form a web and dangle it's self in front of her face, but as they say… Better late than never.

William leaned forward slightly and bit the bottom of his lip deep in thought.

"I want a woman" He finally said "Who doesn't have dinner ready for me when I come home and when I ask where it is she tells me it's in the shop and I should get of my lazy arse and get it." He looked at Elizabeth and smiled sweetly to himself. Everything was suddenly so clear to him. Questions he had avoided for years suddenly had simple answers. William felt like he finally understood himself and the words just rolled off his tongue. One plus on finally equalled two.

"I want a woman who doesn't ask me how my day was in five different languages to show off and impress me, but asks me how my day was in German and when I ask why she says "Why not? Why wouldn't you want to speak in a language that has words such as _Haarschmuckfachgeschäft?_"

"I want a woman who doesn't sit their prettily listening to my _odious_ tales of business but tells me completely crazy, irrational stories of her day and all the things she did. I want a woman who isn't considered to be _Little Miss England_ reincarnated, but has those little imperfections that add up the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. A woman who can hold herself and control herself, a woman who can make me laugh and make me feel like everything is perfect just because she smiled. A woman who I can fall in love with and will love me back…"

His monologue trailed off as he saw Elizabeth staring at him, something swirling in that Hazel storm wildly. She looked upset, her eyes almost glassy. Did she not want his attention? Did she know she _had_ his attention? Did she know it was her he talked about?

"Wow…" She said softly after what felt like an eternity to Will. "She'll be a lucky woman. Who knew _William Darcy_ of all people was capable of such sweet words." She smiled a hearty smile to Will who chuckled alongside her. Outside Lizzie tried her best to be the same old playful Lizzie she had always been. Inside it was a different story. The woman he had described… It was… Her. But not. She knew it wasn't.

As he started off she had laughed, she knew he had been joking, but the deeper he went into the speech the more he seemed to lose himself. It was as if he was actually speaking from his heart and that pained Elizabeth because- that wasn't her.

After so much denial she had finally come to terms with what she felt. It hadn't been so bad when she had thought he would always be there but now? She had finally arrived at her destination only to find he had left to go looking somewhere else. Typical. Absolutely typical.

She swigged from the bottle, despite not having a question, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Got a question yet for me?" She was eager to change the topic and get back to the happy, light mood they had been in before.

He tapped his chin and feigned deep thought before a mischievous smile spread out across his features.

"I don't like the look of that." She muttered, holding the bottle up to her eye and examining the contents.

"What?" He asked, leaning back on the arm rest. "My charming smile or the fact we're nearly out of wine."

"Both… But, then again, we can get more wine so- yeah. Your smile." She shook the bottle causing the deep red liquid to slosh against the sides.

"Actually, that's the last bottle."

For a woman who doesn't drink, Elizabeth nearly damn well jumped up to the ground and threw the bottle at the fireplace in anger.

"WHAT!" She screamed "There's like a WHOLE cupboard in the kitchen with about a dozen bottles in it! Don't lie to me Will." She added in a quiet, menacing voice "Don't lie to me."

He laughed and then rearranged his face into a more serious expression.

"There is but Bingley and Jane locked it up and then hid the key somewhere… I don't know if they thought I was going to break into there and drink myself away or something because I'm- and I quote- 'so lonely' but- yeah. Unless you can sniff out the key…"

"You're kidding me right?"

"I kid you not."

Lizzie burst into a fit of laughter at Will's face.

"You were going to drink yourself away? What, William Darcy CEO of Pemberley International an undercover alcoholic?"

"Apparently so… Clearly I'm a lonely little billy-no-mates …"

Next thing they knew, they were sitting up laughing, smiling and sharing funny little anecdotes with each other about stupid little random things. At the moment they were trying to out-embarrass each other with the most embarrassing stories of family members trying match make them (So far Darcy was winning with his story about a visit to Kent.)

"So." Lizzie giggled "Let me get this right, your Aunt tried to force you to marry your cousin when you were EIGHTEEN and then paid rich women to try and 'compromise you'. That doesn't count… That can't be true."

"IT IS!" He exclaimed, laughing. "I always had women coming onto from a _very_ young age- I can't say I didn't _enjoy_ it when I was younger but, hey. There's a time and a place! Anyway, after about two years of running the company my Aunt was all like" Darcy coughed and put on a squawky, high pitched voice "_ "Oh William! I think you need a LADY FRIEND to take your mind of work, wink wink."_ Then all these very rich, very well respected woman (That all happened to be friends of my Aunts) started coming onto me… And I mean _really_ coming onto me. They made Caroline look like a Nun who took her vows of no-male contact VERY seriously."

Elizabeth snorted at the picture Will painted in her head. The wine bottle, long discarded, rolled off her legs and onto the floor, empty.

"Okay, I've got one." Her eyes glinted as she straightened up. "My mother, when I was twenty one, invited Collins to stay with us, convinced him he was in LOVE with me, and then made him propose." Darcy gasped as Lizzie giggled at the memory.

"What did you say?! Did you accept him?"

"Clearly I did you Nitwit." She smirked, rolling her eyes.

"Well what did you say?!"

"Ohh…" She answered vaguely "I told him where to stuff it. I would have been nicer if he hadn't told me I should probably accept him with me being poor, not the prettiest and- oh yeah- a circus as a family and all."

"NO!"

"Yeah." She giggled again and then smiled serenely to herself. "That was a funny day."

"Well… I don't think I can top a marriage proposal from Collins…"

"But then again, you did get one from your cousin so…"

"I WIN!" His punched the air with his fist grinning. "And as a punishment I think you should tell me your deepest darkest secret."

"Are you serious?!" She laughed, incredulous "Who's to say I even have one? I mean, what a cliché!"

"Everyone has a deep, dark secret Lizzie…It's the _rules_."

"And since when did I play by the rules…"

"Touché." He nodded in approval. "Touché."

She grinned at him coyly from across the chair and pulled the blanket closer to her once again. She wrapped her hands inside of it and brought it to her chin, keeping the warmth inside her cocoon.

"So… Mr Darcy…" She started slyly "What is your deepest secret."

"I shall not share if you shall not." He crossed his arms and looked away trying to hide the smile in his eyes.

"But it's not _my_ fault if I don't have one!"

"LIES!" He proclaimed "DIRTY LIES!"

"Okay… Fine. I accidently killed Jane's guinea pig when I was five but I was too scared to tell her so I buried its body and then told her it had gone missing… She put posters up around the town and EVERYTHING. Now your turn."

"You killed her hamster?"

"Guinea pig." She corrected.

"How the hell did you kill her _Guinea Pig_?"

"Quite a funny story actually. Me and Charlotte where playing catch with it-"

"You were playing CATCH with a GUINEA PIG?! No wonder it died."

"Oh-no. It didn't die then, it died when I put it in the microwave."

"YOU PUT A HAMSTER IN THE MICROWAVE!?"

"_Guinea Pig_!"

"There is something seriously wrong with you." William stared at her, mouth agape.

"And that's why you love me."

"Yes." He said before he could stop himself. "Yes it is."

And cue the awkward pause.

Elizabeth and Darcy sat with eyes nearly bulging out of their heads, both shocked by William's words. She wanted to make a joke, see if he was serious, but the look in his eyes told her it was no jest. They often teased each other and if he had said those words at any other time they would have laughed- they would have seen it as a joke. But the _way_ he said it, and the way the bright blush ran straight to his cheeks and a blue tempest swirled in his eyes told her he meant it. He was serious.

William Darcy, _the_ William Darcy, loved her. _Please_.

"Oh shit." He gasped, breath coming up shallow "Elizabeth I- I didn't mean to- Oh god."

He rushed and tried to think of some explanation but she just sat there, looking at him seeing something he couldn't see. She was going to kill him wasn't she? Oh Lord… Just as they had been getting along he had to go and put his foot in it!

"It just came out" He continued, digging himself in an even bigger hole "I wasn't supposed to-"

"Did you mean it?" She suddenly asked, her voice just above a whisper.

He thought for a second and pondered on the border of truth and lies.

"Yes… Yes I did."

Before he could even bring his thoughts into a coherent ball of… Well anything, Elizabeth was on him, one hand pushing against his chest, the other delicately placed on his cheek as their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.

Neither of them had ever felt anything like before. Years of passion and love that had built up between them danced between their mouths like a sweet kind of heaven.

Slowly she pulled away, her eyes never leaving his. Sometimes words don't need to be said, the eyes (As they say) are the windows to the soul.

* * *

One week later found Jane running through Netherfield with a golden turkey on a tray while Bingley fanned the screeching smoke alarm down with a tea towel. Everything had been fine until Elizabeth was granted access to the kitchen- Then again most things were fine until Elizabeth was granted access to them- Be it the oven, the kitchen, the country- Yeah. You get the picture.

While Jane flaffed around the dining room, fixing last minute decorations in place and Bingley packed away the step ladder, an already tipsy Richard (Complete in a Santa costume) danced around the lounge to "Noddy Holder's Xmas Classics" while Gee laughed and accompanied him on the grand Piano.

Somewhere far off, in a sunny hot country a burnt Caroline texted Darcy's silent phone, filling his inbox with what she thought were _seductive_ Christmas Wishes. But he didn't notice. In fact the man in question didn't notice anything other than his partner of seven days twirling around Richard, eyes alight, dress flowing like Greek Goddess's. Everything about her was like a Goddess. At times William thought she his own personal Goddess.

Jane threw open the double doors keeping them away from dinner, declaring Dinner was served (Though any wishes for sprouts would have to stay put thanks to Lizzie's _ingenious_ method of quick cooking them- Coincidently the one that set off the fire alarm…. They did try and warn her but somehow they fell for the "Trust me… I'm a physicist!" AGAIN.)

Darcy stood up and stretched, his eyes still on Elizabeth. Slowly she danced across the room to him, wound her fingers around his and pulled him into the dining room. Nobody asked any questions. Nobody wanted the details of the story. Money was exchanged from bets made long ago, jokes where exchanged when they thought they weren't listening (Or, in Richard's case, when he _knew_ they were listening). They were all just happy for Lizzie and Darcy- They'd always said they'd make a cute pair.

As crackers were pulled, turkey was cut, hats were swapped and general chaos ensued, William and Elizabeth just sat their silent. With their fingers interlaced under the table, they gazed at each other, speaking a language with their eyes only they could decipher.

Her skin brushed against his as she leaned across her chair and whispered into his ear. "Ich liebe dich"

He smiled a smile that could melt even the coldest of lakes.

"Why on Earth would you speak German?" He asked, squeezing her hand.

"Why not?" She replied archly as she picked up her fork and speared it through her turkey. "Why wouldn't you want to speak in a language that has words such as _Haarschmuckfachgeschäft?_"

Who knew…?

There really is a thin line between love and hate.

The End.

* * *

**Author's Note (Again):**

**Thank's guys for following this story and for being so patient with me :D**

**I love you all.**

**Ally xxx**


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